The present invention relates generally to popcorn devices and more particularly to devices for making popcorn, utilizing a combination of popping means.
Popcorn is typically made by cooking uncooked corn kernels, which expands and bursts the corn kernels into popped corn, the popped corn commonly being called xe2x80x9cpopcorn.xe2x80x9d Each of the corn kernels contains a small amount of water stored within a layer of soft starch, the soft starch being surrounded by the corn kernel""s outer surface of hard starch, the corn kernel having approximately 13.5 to 14 percent moisture. As heat is applied to the corn kernel, the corn kernel heats up, the water within the corn kernel begins to expand, and pressure builds against the hard starch. Eventually, this hard surface of hard starch gives way, causing the corn kernel to explode. As the corn kernel explodes, the soft starch inside the corn kernel becomes inflated and bursts, turning the corn kernel inside out. The steam created by heating the water inside the kernel is released, and the popcorn is popped, the optimum popping temperature being between 400 and 460 degrees Fahrenheit.
Popcorn devices typically make popcorn, utilizing, what has come to be known as, either xe2x80x9cwetxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cdryxe2x80x9d popping means. Wet popcorn devices typically use a liquid, such as cooking oil to cook the corn kernels in, and convert the corn kernels into the popped corn, and dry popcorn devices typically use hot air to convert the corn kernels into the popped corn.
Dry popcorn devices have become the preferred choice, because of distinct advantages over wet popping. Dry popping has been shown to be more efficient, requiring less energy, being more efficient, converting the corn kernels to the popped corn quicker, and yielding fewer calories in the same amount of popcorn than wet popped popcorn. Although wet popping allows flavoring to be added during popping of the corn kernels, flavoring may be added after popping the corn kernels into the popcorn in dry popping, if required.
Most dry popcorn poppers immerse the corn kernels in hot air, in order to pop the corn kernels into the popcorn, and although popping the corn kernels in hot air is typically more efficient than wet popping, an improved and more efficient popcorn maker is necessary, which utilizes a combination of popping means, and converts the corn kernels to the popped corn quicker, more efficiently, and with improved taste, compared to conventional dry popping. The popcorn maker should use a combination of roasting, agitation, heating, and convection to convert the corn kernels into the popcorn, and expel the popcorn out of the popcorn maker.
The popcorn maker should be easy to use, the corn kernels and the popcorn easily viewable and fun to watch during popping, the popcorn maker producing the popcorn in a quick, convenient, and efficient manner. The popcorn maker should discharge the popcorn from a convenient discharge chute into a receptacle of choice, resemble, and have the appearance of an old fashioned popcorn maker. The popcorn maker should be free standing, easy to clean and maintain, and be of long lasting, durable material. The popcorn maker should be light weight, inexpensive, safe to use, attractive, sturdy, of simple construction, and easy to store.
Different devices and methods for heating, cooking, and roasting popcorn, coffee, and other food items have heretofore been known. None of these devices or methods adequately satisfies the aforementioned needs.
Different popcorn devices and methods, and in particular hot air or convection popcorn devices and methods, have heretofore been known. However, none of these popcorn devices or methods, and in particular these hot air or convection popcorn devices, adequately satisfies these aforementioned needs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,158 (Ishihara) discloses a popcorn popper having a popping chamber, which has a plurality of radially arranged holes along a bottom periphery, a lower wall portion of gradually smaller diameter, and a bottom having a raised portion. The popcorn popper also has a diffusing device, which directs heated air inward from an outer periphery and upward through the holes in the bottom of the chamber, for more even and efficient heating.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,247 (Friedman) discloses a popcorn popping and coating machine, comprising a hot air popcorn popper having a discharge chute in communication with a rotary driven receptacle. The popping and coating machine also has a pivoting gate, which blocks passage of the popcorn through the discharge chute until the popper becomes filled with popped kernels, so that the kernels continue to be heated until the popcorn is introduced into a coating receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,139 (Lee) discloses a popcorn maker having a flap, which closes off a passageway to prevent corn, especially unpopped corn, from reaching a discharge outlet. The flap is balanced in its closed position and is pushed open by any build up of popped corn, to allow the popped corn to be discharged, which then remains open until closed manually.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,974 (Tienor) discloses a hot air corn popper having a body, which has a lower body portion closed by a removable cover, a hollow stainless steel popping vessel, which is removably held in the lower body portion, the hollow stainless steel popping vessel having a bottom end closed by a perforated grill, and a gravity flow feed hopper formed in the lower body portion, which provides automatic flow of unpopped kernels into the popping vessel, the unpopped kernels being contained on top of the perforated grill. An upwardly directed hot air flow produced in the lower body portion is directed through the popping vessel. The air flow pops the unpopped kernels and carries the popped kernels out of the popping vessel and the body to a storage receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,253 (Rehmeyer, et al.) discloses a convection oven corn popper and method in which a device is provided to air-pop popcorn in combination with a convection-type oven. The device comprises a spring-mounted bowl to hold corn kernels, and includes a slot in a sidewall for popped popcorn to exit therefrom. The exiting popcorn falls into a cooking chamber of the oven, where the popcorn is held warm until ready to eat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,427 (Kiczek) discloses a popcorn popper, having a receptacle for receiving corn which has been popped and a popping vessel substantially centrally mounted to the receptacle. The popping vessel receives heating oil and kernels of unpopped corn therein, which are heated to a popping temperature to pop the kernels of corn to form popcorn. A deflecting mechanism is provided so as to deflect the corn, which has been popped upward out of the popping vessel into the receptacle, thus, separating the corn that has popped from the kernels of corn in the popping vessel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,568 (Kiczek) further discloses a popcorn popper, which utilizes an oil heating mechanism having a pair of heating elements for heating kernels of unpopped corn to form popcorn. The popcorn popper has a base member and a heating mechanism for heating oil and the kernels of unpopped corn to form popcorn. An alternate embodiment of the popcorn popper is disclosed, in which the heating mechanism has an air heating mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,294,546 (Fingerhut) and U.S. Pat. No. 2,922,355 (Green) disclose devices and method for popping corn, each of the devices having a housing and a popping device, including an air duct, means for blowing gases through and suspending unpopped corn kernels in the popping device, and means for heating the suspended corn kernels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,798 (Nakamura) discloses a popcorn processing machine having a heating chamber into which a measured quantity of raw corn kernels are fed in each of a number of operating cycles. The raw corn kernels are heated, agitated, and popped by hot air supplied under pressure, as a whirling rising vortex, which results in the production of popcorn. The bottom of the heating chamber can be opened, the popcorn dumped, the chamber bottom reclosed, and the operating cycle restarted.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,457 (Lyga, et al.) discloses a low-headroom popcorn popper, particularly for under-cabinet mounting. The low-headroom popper has a charging drawer alongside an intermediate chute for feeding kernels of corn into a popping chamber. The corn kernels remain in the charging drawer, until a charging slide is pushed to permit the corn kernels to enter the popping chamber. A horizontal air path between a blower and a plenum, surrounding the popping chamber, further reduces headroom. Air enters the perimeter of the popping chamber from the plenum in a horizontal swirling motion, produced by slanted louvers. A door closes an open bottom of the popping chamber to permit removal of unpopped kernels of corn and other debris therefrom. Heater elements are disposed in the plenum chamber non-uniformly angled about the popping chamber, to attain a substantially uniform air temperature, as heated air enters the popping chamber. Separation of popped corn from unpopped kernels of corn is attained, using two cylindrical sections connected by a diverging conical section. Popped corn rises upward in an air stream, until the rising popped corn passes over a dam, whereupon the popped corn falls down a discharge chute. An electrical control system controls a xe2x80x9cwaitxe2x80x9d light and a xe2x80x9cready,xe2x80x9d light to indicate to a user the time that an optimum popping temperature exists in the popping chamber. An over temperature sensor deenergizes the heater, blower and the xe2x80x9creadyxe2x80x9d light, and energizes the xe2x80x9cwaitxe2x80x9d light, when an unsafe temperature is approached.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,363 (King, et al.) discloses an automatic, hot air corn popping machine, having a feed conveyor for transporting unpopped corn from a reservoir to a base of a popping tube, which forms part of a popping chamber, and a damper-controlled blower and thermostatically-controlled heater for heating and blowing air to pop corn in the popping chamber. A control circuit is provided with a reprogrammable microcomputer, for programmable operation of the automatic, hot air corn popping machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,113 (Marquez) discloses a popcorn popping and dispensing apparatus adapted to be used in combination with a hot air source, the apparatus including a popping chamber having a base structured and disposed to be attached to the hot air source and including a centrally disposed opening therethrough to define an air nozzle and allow passage of forced hot air through from the hot air source into an interior of the popping chamber. The popping chamber further includes a top having a neck portion with an open distal end defining a drop chute structured and disposed for passage of popping corn kernels therethrough and into the interior of the popping chamber for exposure to the forced hot air and subsequent popping, and includes a surrounding side wall structure having a discharge chute attached to and extending angularly downward from an upper portion thereof, so as to allow passage of popped popcorn therethrough and out from an open end thereof, and a cleaning chute attached to and extending angularly upward from a lower portion thereof, so as to facilitate the insertion of cleaning instruments therethrough and into the interior of the popping chamber for cleaning thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,139 (Wolens) discloses a device for popping corn, having a receptacle for receiving popped corn and a popping vessel arranged in the receptacle for receiving kernels of popcorn. A hot air blower charges a stream of hot air downward into the popping vessel, and heats kernels of popcorn to a popping temperature. The stream of air drives the popped corn out to the popping vessel and into the receptacle, to separate the popped corn from the unpopped kernels of popped corn.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,405 (Simon) discloses a hot air corn popping machine, for supplying popped corn which may be used as packaging material. Unpopped kernels are fed into a hopper and through a motorized feed unit and sensor switch, which provide controlled amounts of kernels into a popping chamber within a heating chamber. A blower motor provides pressurized air through heating coils around the popping chamber, to pop the corn and direct the popped corn through an exhaust system. A ramp having a grating at the lower end separates unpopped kernels, which are collected for recycling. The popped corn is blown upward through an exhaust tube, for collection by an external collector.
Different popcorn vending machines have heretofore been known. However, none of these popcorn vending machines adequately satisfies these aforementioned needs.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,419,238 (Pinone) and 5,309,825 each disclose a popcorn machine for measuring a metered amount of popcorn, cooking the popcorn fresh, and dispensing the freshly cooked popcorn into a manually positioned cup in a front portion of the popcorn machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,684 (Chaikowsky) discloses a popcorn vending machine having a corn dispenser for dispensing a measured quantity of corn to a cooker assembly, the cooker assembly for cooking the corn kernels and dispensing the cooked corn kernels to a cup in an area accessible by a purchaser.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,187,353 (Wyman, et al.) discloses a hot air popcorn machine having a programmable control system for controlling various operating parameters, including air flow and air temperature, to enable the popcorn machine to produce popcorn in a substantially low maintenance environment, such as a free-standing vending machine.
Different automatic popcorn machines have heretofore been known. However, none of these automatic popcorn machines adequately satisfies these aforementioned needs.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,011 (Hodgson, et al.) discloses an automated batch popcorn machine, having a tiltable kettle actuated by a motor drive controlled to operate in a single batch and automatic dump process. U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,779 (Stein, et al.) discloses an automated corn popping apparatus having a kettle assembly, a support arrangement for supporting and operating the kettle assembly, a display arrangement for enclosing the corn popping apparatus, and control means for automatically operating the corn popping apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,173 (Stein, et al.) discloses an apparatus for the automatic, continuous popping of popcorn having an upper storage compartment, heating coils for providing heat inside the upper storage compartment, a popcorn popping kettle, a lower storage compartment housing electrical components, a corn supply, a salt supply and an oil supply.
Different corn popping apparatus having kettles have heretofore been known. However, none of these corn popping apparatus having kettles adequately satisfies these aforementioned needs.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,032,572 (Mann) and 5,857,403 (Mann) each disclose corn popping apparatus comprising a box-like cabinet with a tiltable lid, having a large metal popping kettle attached thereto, which when lowered, the bottom of the kettle projects downwardly into the cabinet interior through a panel covering the top of the cabinet, the kettle being heated to popping temperature by a fuel burner inside the cabinet.
Different apparatus and methods for heating, cooking, and roasting food have heretofore been known. However, none of these apparatus or methods adequately satisfies these aforementioned needs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,444 (Bar-Sheshet) discloses a forced air oven for and a method of heating, cooking or roasting granular food, such as nuts, seeds and coffee beans. The apparatus houses a hollow cylindrical drum into which food is placed. A heated gaseous stream is forced through the inside of the drum with sufficient force to blow the food away from the inside surface of the drum. Perforations in the drum are positioned such that the heated gaseous stream blows the food toward a rear end of the drum, and causes the food to churn, which allows the heated air to envelope the outside surface of the food and provides even transmission of heat to the food. The drum is provided with a helical fin that pushes the food toward a front end of the drum. A wire mesh is also provided for collecting particles that are dislodged from the food, and an exhaust system is provided for venting the gasses created during the heating, cooking or roasting of food. The oven is equipped with a door that has feed and discharge gates for inserting and removing the food, without opening the door.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,962 (Tedesco) discloses a countertop puffing oven for pelletized foodstuffs, having a pellet-receiving container, including an air flow-directing agitator mounted in the bottom thereof and cooperating with a forced inflow of air initially introduced through a heater element preheated to at least approximately 375 degrees Fahrenheit for intimate substantially unencumbered contact of substantially the entire surface area of each pellet with the hot air.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,614,239 (Tedesco) further discloses a method of puffing pelletized foodstuffs in which foodstuff pellets are puffed by radiantly heating the pellets in a chamber to cause a rapid rise in the chamber temperature to a temperature sufficient for puffing, and once this temperature has been reached, a fluidizing flow of air is created and maintained within the chamber to agitate, move and suspend the pellets within the chamber while maintaining the puffing temperature causing uniform puffing of the pellets. After the pellets are puffed, the radiant heating is discontinued while the fluidizing flow of air continues to cool the puffed pellets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,903 (Fereshetian) discloses a combination oven and popcorn popper unit, which may be used to cook or heat food items and to pop popcorn kernels. A lower oven section has internal walls defining a food-receiving compartment, and a food supporting member is located in the compartment for supporting food items to be cooked or heated. A container above the oven section is provided for receiving kernels of corn to be popped, and heating means is provided below the food supporting means for providing heat for the oven section and also for heating the kernels of corn in the container, during use of the device as a popcorn popper. Deflector means communicate with the container for deflecting popped kernels of corn along a predetermined path of travel out of the unit.
Different coffee roasters have heretofore been known. However, none of the coffee roasters adequately satisfies these aforementioned needs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,072 (Waligorski) discloses a coffee roaster for roasting a selected volume of coffee beans, having a roasting cavity for receiving and roasting a selected volume of green coffee beans, a timer for controlling the roasting time, and a heating coil for generating heat to roast the coffee beans. A motor drives a fan, which forces air through the heating coil and toward the roasting cavity. Slots defined by the roasting cavity direct the heated air into the roasting cavity, such that the coffee beans are agitated and roasted. The roasting cavity has an opening in the top of the roasting cavity. Chaff is evacuated with the air through the opening in the top of the roasting cavity. A chaff collector is provided for collecting the chaff evacuated, while allowing the escape of air.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,288 (Skaling) discloses a coffee bean roaster for home use, in which a fan heater assembly in housing blows hot air upwardly through a glass roasting chamber. The hot air escaping from the top of the chamber may be selectively recycled into the housing to raise the roasting temperature to compensate for low levels in available electrical power.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,308 (Tanaka) discloses a coffee maker, having a roasting portion, which heats raw coffee beans placed therein, so as to roast the raw coffee beans, a grinding portion, which grinds the roasted coffee beans which have been roasted in the roasting portion, a transferring portion, which is connected between the roasting portion and the grinding portion and automatically transfers the roasted coffee beans from the roasting portion to the grinding portion after the raw coffee beans have been roasted, and an extracting portion, which extracts the coffee from the ground coffee beans loaded therein from the grinding portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,502 (Enomoto) discloses a coffee making machine for automatically producing coffee solution from unroasted coffee beans having a roaster for holding coffee beans and roasting the dried coffee beans into roasted coffee beans, a milling/extracting unit for grinding the roasted coffee beans into ground coffee and extracting coffee solution from the ground coffee, a blower for blowing air into the milling/extracting unit to cool the roasted coffee beans before the roasted coffee beans are ground, a pouring unit for pouring hot water onto the ground coffee and extracting the coffee solution therefrom, a coffee server for receiving the coffee solution from the milling/extracting unit, and means for supplying the coffee solution from the milling/extracting unit to the coffee server.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an improved and more efficient popcorn maker, which utilizes a combination of popping means, and converts the corn kernels to the popped corn quicker, more efficiently, and with improved taste, compared to conventional dry popping. The popcorn maker should use a combination of roasting, agitation, heating, and convection to convert the corn kernels into the popcorn, and expel the popcorn out of the popcorn maker.
The popcorn maker should be easy to use, the corn kernels and the popcorn easily viewable and fun to watch during popping, the popcorn maker producing the popcorn in a quick, convenient, and efficient manner. The popcorn maker should discharge the popcorn from a convenient discharge chute into a receptacle of choice, resemble, and have the appearance of an old fashioned popcorn maker. The popcorn maker should be free standing, easy to clean and maintain, and be of long lasting, durable material. The popcorn maker should be light weight, inexpensive, safe to use, attractive, sturdy, of simple construction, and easy to store.
The present invention is directed to a popcorn maker, which utilizes a combination of popping means, and converts the corn kernels to the popped corn quicker, more efficiently, and with improved taste, compared to conventional dry popping. The popcorn maker uses a combination of roasting, agitation, heating, and convection to convert the corn kernels into the popcorn, and expel the popcorn out of the popcorn maker. The popcorn maker is easy to use, the corn kernels and the popcorn easily viewable and fun to watch during popping, the popcorn maker producing the popcorn in a quick, convenient, and efficient manner. The popcorn maker discharges the popcorn from a convenient discharge chute into a receptacle of choice, resembles, and has the appearance of an old fashioned popcorn maker. The popcorn maker is free standing, easy to clean and maintain, and of long lasting, durable material. The popcorn maker is light weight, inexpensive, safe to use, attractive, sturdy, of simple construction., and easy to store.
A popcorn maker having features of the present invention comprises: a combination heater, roaster, agitator, and convection unit, the combination heater, roaster, agitator, and convection unit having a heater, roaster agitator, chimney, and blower; the roaster agitator being substantially cup shaped, having a bottom and a substantially cylindrical wall having a plurality of louvers therein, the louvers disposed so as to direct heated air downward and towards a central portion of the bottom of the roaster agitator; the blower drawing air thereinto the popcorn maker, and impelling the air therethrough the heater; the heater heating the air and generating heated air; the blower impelling the heated air therethrough the louvers and thereinto the roaster agitator; the heated and impelled air roasting and agitating corn kernels therein the roaster agitator, the roasted and agitated corn kernels being converted to popcorn; the heated and impelled air impelling the popcorn thereinto the chimney and expelling the popcorn thereout of the chimney; a base; and a removably mating cover, the removably mating cover mating with the base; the removably mating cover having a chute; the combination heater, roaster, agitator, and convection unit mounted therein the base and extending thereinto the removably mating cover; the popcorn expelled thereout of the chimney thereinto the removably mating cover and thereout of the chute.